Hallows Eve Hijinks
by laharvey125
Summary: Ritsuko plans to celebrate the holiday in her own quiet way, but not if her friend Janara Emerata has anything to say about it.


Ritsuko was looking forward to spending Hallows Eve in the solitude of her bedroom. Prepared with favorite snacks and some hot spiced cider, she was ready to enjoy the latest horror movie. She turned on the TV, turned off the lights, and sprawled out on her bed. The opening credits were just through when Janara suddenly burst into the room. Ritsuko screamed and fell out of bed in surprise, cracking her head on the floor. She groaned as her head reeled and vision spun, only to be blinded when the lights switched back on.

"Jumpy tonight, little sister?" Janara teased with a wicked smile.

Ritsuko scowled as she stood up and rubbed her aching head. She hated it when Janara called her that. Not just because they weren't blood-related siblings, but because the nick-name made fun of the fact that despite Ritsuko being a year older, she was the shorter of the two. "What do you want?" She grumbled as she sat down on the bed.

"There's no need to sound like a whiny [censored]," Janara huffed as she sat down on the bed too. "Besides you should be grateful."

"Grateful that I didn't split my head open?" Ritsuko asked sarcastically.

"Hilarious as always," Janara snickered as she wrapped her arm around her friend and pulled her in close. "But no. Kisame-Sensei out partying for the night so we should go trick-or-treating!"

Ritsuko gently pushed her away and made a disgusted face. "I don't think so."

"But why not?" Janara pouted.

"Because I'm too old for that childish tradition, _that's _why," Ritsuko said firmly, her jaw set stubbornly. "You know I don't like sweets and wearing silly costumes."

"Nonsense, all girls like sweets," Janara said off-handedly. "And sixteen is not that old so let's get going already!"

"I'm not going!" Ritsuko snapped. "Go by yourself!"

"But I can't!" Janara protested. "No one will give me candy!"

At this Ritsuko couldn't resist a laugh. "That's because you freak out and curse the candy-givers."

"So I'm not good at dwelling with strangers," Janara said with an offended air as she flipped her long tangled ebony hair over her shoulder.

"What's there to be good at?" Ritsuko countered. "They open the door, you say "trick-or-treat", and they give you a piece of candy. How do you manage to screw that up?"

At this Janara narrowed her silver eyes at her. "It's more than that and you [censored] know it! They always make a comment about my costume, trying to veil their disgust for it through stifled compliments. I can't [censored] stand for that kind of contempt!"

"You take things too personally," Ritsuko said. "Besides your costumes are always so out there that you're lucky anyone has anything to say about it."

Janara bristled at that and seemed ready to snap but held back. After all she wanted her friend to come. "C'mon, just go with me."

"In case you haven't noticed, I was just about to watch this," Ritsuko said as she shook the DVD case in her face.

Janara took it from her hands and quickly scanned the back contents. "Oh I've seen this one. The serial killer turns out that the Samurai who's protecting the village."

Ritsuko squeaked indignantly. "What-! Why you-! You just gave away the ending!"

"I know," she said unapologetically. "So now you don't have to waste your time watching it to figure that out. C'mon get moving already! Time's a wastin'!"

"No! Get lost!" Ritsuko growled as she turned her back on Janara. Normally she was more patient with her. After all, in many ways they were like sisters. Both were taken in by their Sensei from off the streets when they were young. They've grown up and trained together. Each one knew the other so well by now. But Ritsuko was frustrated at Janara's intrusion and was disappointed that her quiet night was now ruined.

She flinched as Janara pressed against her back, her voice soft and low in Ritsuko's ear. Janara was laying on the charm now. "You forget that I have a little leverage over you, little sister. I know _all_ about your date with Benjirou a few nights ago…" her voice trailed off meaningfully.

Ritsuko's breath caught in her throat. Janara knew about that? Crap!

Janara chuckled deviously. "You know Kisame-Sensei's rule: we're not allowed to date until we're eighteen."

"You don't follow that rule either!" Ritsuko protested.

"But I don't get caught," she said simply. "You did. And even worse, there's physical proof that you have." Her hand drifted near Ritsuko's left breast.

Ritsuko slapped her hand away and blushed fiercely. "It's just a bruise!"

"Yeah sure," Janara snorted in derision. "Whatever you say. But you know Kisame-Sensei isn't going to buy that excuse, especially in so weird a place."

Ritsuko opened her mouth but quickly snapped it shut again. She lowered her head in shame. Janara was right, if Kisame knew he'd throw a giant fit. "Fine, you win," she grumbled.

"I'm glad to see that you've finally come around," Janara snickered as she stood up and took her friend's hand and pulled her to her own room. "Now just you wait, I have the perfect costume for you," she said as she looked through her closet. Ritsuko scowled and angrily folded her arms across her chest. Janara just laughed. "You'll have fun, I promise. When have I ever been wrong?"

Ritsuko relaxed a little at that, knowing that her friend was right. Janara tossed her some clothes and Ritsuko put them on without complaint. She stood in front of the mirror to have a better look. She frowned slightly in confusion. Just what was she supposed to be?

"Do you like it?" Janara asked hopefully, eagerly waiting for her reaction. Ritsuko nodded slowly. Even if she didn't know what it was, she had to admit that it looked good on her. "Great! Let's get this [censored] party started!" Janara cheered as she linked arms with her and led the way.

Outside the night air held a slight chill, proof that the warmth of summer was soon to be a distant memory. The streets were crowded with little kids eagerly running from house to house with wide smiles. Ritsuko groaned. "See? All of them are just kids. We're practically giants in comparison!"

"No, look. There are some grown-ups too," she pointed.

"Those are the parents!"

"Oh shut up, you don't know that," Janara scolded. "Let's start with this house."

She rang the doorbell and a little old lady answered. She looked at the two of them warily as she tried to figure out (1) why two teenage girls were trick-or-treating and (2) what the heck they were dressed up as.

Ritsuko held out her sack and forced a smile. "Trick-or-treat!" She said in unison with Janara.

The lady dropped some candy into their sacks. "My, what…interesting costumes you have girls. What are you supposed to be?"

It was a reasonable question but Ritsuko didn't know how to answer it. She didn't want to admit that she didn't know what she was either. Janara however erupted. "If you don't [censored] know then I don't [censored] want your [censored] candy!" She screamed as she threw the candy back and it bounced off her wrinkled forehead.

The old woman blinked in horror and Ritsuko quickly apologized and dragged her friend away. "Knock it off!" She hissed. "She was just asking!"

"But she should have [censored] known!"

"Quiet down already, no one's going to give us candy if you're going to blow your top at every the door!" Ritsuko glared, embarrassed by her friend's terrible temper.

Far from apologetic, Janara suddenly seemed deep in thought. "This door to door approach would take too long anyway. I say we get it all at once."

Ritsuko started to worry, especially since she recognized that scheming look in her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"This way," Janara said as she yanked her in the opposite direction, away from the crowds and the main part of town.

"Are you going to tell me what you have in mind?" Ritsuko asked warily.

"Nope."

"Of course not," Ritsuko grumbled.

Janara laughed. "It'll be a blast, you'll see."

They entered the local grocery store and went straight to the candy aisle. There wasn't much there but Janara grabbed them all off the shelf and handed them to Ritsuko. "We're buying candy? That's your master plan?" She asked in disbelief.

Janara ignored that question. "You go up front and pay for those. I'll get something from the next aisle over and join you."

Ritsuko groaned slightly but turned on her heel and went to buy the stuff she wouldn't be eating anyway. Janara didn't make a whole lot of sense sometimes, but at least she was in a good mood. That temper of hers was truly formidable. The knowledgeable part of her suspected that Janara had something up her sleeve, she always did. Just as she set the candy on the counter, the left side of the store exploded in black hellish flames: Janara's signature technique.

The clerk panicked and raced to put out the fire. Ritsuko moved to help but Janara grabbed her by the arm. "Grab the candy and let's go!"

"Have you lost your mind?!" Ritsuko snapped.

Janara glared right back at her. "Get movin' before I set your [censored] on fire too!"

That was enough motivation for Ritsuko. She'd been on the receiving end of that jutsu before, the pain was indescribable. She took the candy and they ran out of the store. The workers were too busy putting out the fire to notice the shoplifters.

"I can't believe you!" Ritsuko shouted as they ran down the dark alley back towards their house. "You literally set the store on fire just so you can get candy?!"

"Not just that but this too," Janara smirked as she held up some bottles of sake.

At this Ritsuko couldn't help but genuinely laugh.

"See? You had a good time after all," Janara praised as she handed her a bottle.

"I will never admit that," Ritsuko said as she took a sip. "Not sober anyway," she grinned. "What do you say stop by the movie store and pick up another movie instead?"

"Or movie_s_," Janara grinned back.

The two girls laughed, the sound echoed eerily throughout the alleyway.


End file.
